Reclaiming Place: Mapping Erasure and Cultural Sites of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe Using ArcGIS Storymap

I partnered with the New Museum of Los Gatos, Mosaic America, San José State University, and the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe to construct a StoryMap using ArcGIS to highlight the significant cultural and ancestral sites in the Bay Area that represent the tribe. I conducted oral history interviews with members and youth members, to convey their significance to mapped sites more effectively. My project uses ArcGIS StoryMaps to create an immersive experience that combines stories, an interactive map, and narrative context to the rich history of the Muwekma Ohlone, told by the members of the tribe. This StoryMap lived in a physical museum exhibit space and resided on a StoryMap webpage associated with the digital Mosaic Atlas of Bay Area cultural arts. In this article I discuss the importance of mapping these culturally significant sites to demonstrate the steady reclamation process of place and cultural heritage for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. I also share processes of collaborative decolonization in museums and the responsibility these institutions have to provide a space for historically marginalized communities.